Mulch, Mulch, Mulch
Posted on | June 2, 2010 | 27 Comments
Greg told me not to write another post about the garden. I know it’s kinda boring but that this is my life right now. Working and gardening. What I’ve learned: Don’t buy 2 yards of mulch if you have an urban size garden. I’ve mulched my house, two neighbors gardens, and an island in the middle of the street…we still have a pile. Now what? I guess I put up a free mulch sign?
I learned this week not to cut your lupine. Let it go to seed if you want it to come back and spread. Same with the foxglove. We’ll have to wait till next spring to see if that trick worked.
My double rose peony poppies are coming up. I think I have three plants? They seem to coming along. I remember reading on the packet that they may not bloom the first year. Again, we’ll have to be patient and wait and see.
Also, my iris. Looks happy and it’s growing well. But no flowers. What’s up? My mom said I may have planted it too deep. I gave the plant a tug this morning and exposed the rhizomes. I removed the mulch from around the plant because the moisture can make the rhizomes rot. Let me know if you know any good iris flowering tips.
Besides that the garden is coming along well. I outlined the new back shade garden in stones. This coming weekend the stone will get replaced with cobblestones. Using small stones made it easy to play around with the curve.
Note to self: I need to find more flowers that bloom in May. I would love to do some more allium in different sizes. That’s the report from the garden. I’ll be out on the corner pimping the mulch till sunset.
Related Posts:
Bark Mulch, Flag, and Planter
Pink Ombre Lupine
Garden Progress: Mid-May
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June 2nd, 2010 @ 9:32 pm
Your garden looks very lush and very beautiful – you can really see that the effort that you have put into it is starting to pay off. Thank you for sharing.
June 2nd, 2010 @ 9:33 pm
it’s looking so lovely!!!
June 2nd, 2010 @ 10:30 pm
pimping mulch…what next?
June 2nd, 2010 @ 11:03 pm
We can never have too many garden reports! I spend every waking hour thinking about gardening. In fact, I’ve been searching your site and rereading old garden posts.
Your garden looks fantastic. You are very talented. I need to rethink my layout. Something about it is not quite working.
Are other irises in your area blooming now? Ours just started a week or two ago and we’re in a warmer area (NYC).
June 2nd, 2010 @ 11:05 pm
It looks lovely….definitely not boring. We’re going through the same thing right now except we have a pile of stones because we’re building a walkway. We weren’t as generous as you though. We filled the potholes in the driveway and are saving the rest for another project. Also, our bleeding hearts, wisteria and roses all bloomed in May. Good luck with the yard!
June 3rd, 2010 @ 4:59 am
Tulips are good early spring bloomers; perrenial, low maintainance and so many varieties and colours to choose from as well.
June 3rd, 2010 @ 5:00 am
Sorry above comment was me!
June 3rd, 2010 @ 9:09 am
Not boring at all! I love watching the garden progress. You even inspired me to plant a hydrangea bush in a no-mans-land area behind my garage. I’m hoping for lovely cut flowers, but we’ll see. Keep taking pictures and then you can do a post with the garden progression in the winter when you are bored…..it’ll inspire you!
June 3rd, 2010 @ 9:39 am
Keep garden pics coming – never boring!
June 3rd, 2010 @ 9:41 am
Your garden looks great! Regarding your comment about finding more things that flower in May, we live in upstate New York and I have purple and pink columbine that flowered throughout May.
June 3rd, 2010 @ 9:43 am
Looks great! I love the color combos. And, thanks for the tip about the lupine.
June 3rd, 2010 @ 9:54 am
I love your garden posts and your garden is looking really great! Please keep posting about it so that we can see it as it grows…
June 3rd, 2010 @ 9:58 am
Your gardening inspires me to be out in my garden! My husband and I just expanded the vegetable garden 3 times the size of what it had been. We live on a farm, so we have the space. Thanks for your ideas.
June 3rd, 2010 @ 10:04 am
Actually – I’m loving your garden updates. I totally need to take some pictures of mine – it’s great to look back and see how far you’ve come from a bare patch of brown mulch – and as far as the mulch goes – it’s going to break down so much you won’t believe it (I had a literal ton delivered 1.5 years ago and I actually need more now – I thought I would never need mulch again) I’d say – put it in a spot where it can sit and get compacted -you’ll be happy not to have to buy more next spring if you hold on to it now…
June 3rd, 2010 @ 10:33 am
If you put a FREE MULCH sign out, that pile would be gone by lunch time.
Have you considered rosa rugosa?
June 3rd, 2010 @ 10:36 am
Sarahbeth,
I would totally hold on to it. But my only outdoor space is what you see in the photo. The only place I have to “keep it” is in the driveway. :(
June 3rd, 2010 @ 10:38 am
Patsy,
I would love to put in a rose hedge on the side of property next to my neighbor’s garage. The only problem is the garden in front of the garage is his property as well. Maybe I could convince him?
The ugly fence is his too!
June 3rd, 2010 @ 11:03 am
I love your garden updates.
Last year one of my dad’s friends gave me some irises and said to plant them very shallow, “like ducks on water.” Every once in a while the rain washes away the dirt that’s on top and I can see the root but she said that’s okay.
June 3rd, 2010 @ 1:01 pm
This is why I’m a horrible gardener. Waiting for things to bloom is so hard. I want to see everything now! :) Have fun playing in the dirt!
June 3rd, 2010 @ 1:01 pm
Your garden is looking so lovely! Sadly, I overestimated the amount of direct sunshine my flowers would get in the summer, so my poppies and lupines are growing very slowly and I’m worried they might not bloom at all. Oh well – gardening is all about experimenting, right?
June 3rd, 2010 @ 1:04 pm
Mopar,
Iris and poppies have been blooming up here for about 2 weeks. Some could be earlier varieties.
June 3rd, 2010 @ 7:25 pm
Greg, sorry, not boring at all. I love reading about what you’re up to in your garden, and I love your photos too. Don’t stop Katy. I for one love it.
June 5th, 2010 @ 5:25 am
pimpin the mulch, I love it :)
Garden is looking great, what a satisfying project – good work
June 5th, 2010 @ 9:28 am
Iris probably will not bloom the first year. They get ‘shocked’ when separated at the nursery or wherever you dig them up. Some bloom early and some late. I have about 7 varieties and they bloom over the course of a month or so. Iris rhizomes like to be above the ground in draining soil. After bloom or the season toss on some composted cow manure mixed with peat moss as a fertilizer. In spring gently pull out any dead foliage to avoid rot. Iris is kind of our family flower…I have some that have come from stock in our family spanning to the mid 1800′s!
June 6th, 2010 @ 8:00 am
Oh, I’m so jealous, no weeds in your garden! Try using a hose to lay out curves.
June 8th, 2010 @ 5:09 pm
This post cracked me up. I’m about to have two cu yards of mulch delivered to my DC house. Now I’m wondering if I only need one. :)
Love your blog!
July 12th, 2010 @ 10:31 pm
Try feeding the iris, bulb food. also we are just north west of Boston and the Bleeding Hearts in my yard are huge and beautiful for May and June. Another easy plant that is beautiful May through frost is catmint, it also suppresses weeds and attracts bees and butterflies.